Thanksgiving Prep - Nine Days to Go

by Emily Farris, Posted Nov 17th 2009 @ 2:00PM

Each Tuesday until Turkey Day, we're bringing you preparation tips to ensure your Thanksgiving is as smooth as your gravy (should be). And guess what? There are only two Tuesdays to go! If you've been following our advice, there's no need to freak out, but even if you haven't, there's still no need to freak out -- just, uh, expedite.

By this point, you should have gotten a head count, ordered your turkey, and planned your menu. You also should have asked your guests to bring something, purchased some non-perishables (or not not-too-perishables) and figured out how you're going to seat everyone at your tiny table. If you've already done all of those things, great! If not, there's still time, you might just need to rush. But first and foremost, order that bird!

So, with the majority of your shopping done and your house filled with mismatched chairs and borrowed stock pots, what is left to do?

1. Practice, practice, practice.
While you certainly don't need to practice roasting a 12-pound turkey (that could get expensive and it would take up too much room in your already packed fridge), if you've never roasted poultry before, it might be worth your while to get a small chicken or turkey from the grocery store and brine it, baste it and taste it. And if you're planning to make some crazy side dish, why not try it out a week ahead of time?

2. Keep shopping.
By now, it's safe to buy almost everything you'll need for your Thanksgiving dinner, including:

Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Garlic (keep it in the fridge)
Onions

You'll want to hold off on things like cranberries, Brussels sprouts, green beans and whatever other fruit and green or leafy vegetables you'll be using.

Oh, and buy more wine. You'll thank us later.

3. Clean.
This one might seem like a no-brainer, or might not apply to everyone. But you're going to have a lot of people in your home. -- maybe your parents will be there, or worse, your in-laws. Start cleaning now, so you're not tripping over a mop bucket to get to your Turkey on Thanksgiving morning.

4. Check in with your guests.
Is your mom still bringing pecan pie? Is your sister still making her green bean casserole? OK, just checking.

Filed Under: Holidays
Tags: fall, thanksgiving, thanksgiving dinner, thanksgiving planning, thanksgiving prep, turkey

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

11-17-2009 @4:47PM LinC said... Nine days ahead of time? You must be joking. I know what I'm serving. I know who will be there for dinner. But that's it. I'll buy a generic turkey from the mega-mart on Saturday. The day before I'll make a pumpkin pie. I'll get up early on Thanksgiving to prep the turkey. Let's not get carried away and forget that Thanksgiving is about people more than it's about food. (And in the South there's always football.)
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11-17-2009 @5:28PM Sarah-Jane said... I love this series! What a great idea. Thanks for keeping us on track.
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11-18-2009 @1:17PM dave_p said... I didn't know Thanksgiving had to be an either or kind of situation. I think good food and good people works for me. Any new and interesting tips to help prep for a usually stressful day for those who prepare meals is good for me.
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